Starfish

 Starfish

by Lisa Fipps

Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021. 244 pages. Young Adult

Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant debut novel-in-verse.

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules-like "no making waves," "avoid eating in public," and "don't move so fast that your body jiggles." And she's found her safe space-her swimming pool-where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It's also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie's weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life--by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.

This book should be required reading for all middle school and high school students. It beautifully handles so many issues and not just about body positivity. It talks about bullying, emotional abuse, family dynamics, poverty, and immigration. I loved this book because it gave voice to many of the things that I have experienced in my own life and gave me words to help those who are going through them right now. Ellie is my hero.

 

If You Liked Starfish, you might also like:

Mammoth

by Jill Baguchinsky

Turner Publishing Company, 2018. 333 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Paleontology geek and plus-size fashion blogger Natalie Page lands an internship working with a celebrated paleontologist, but she realizes that in order to stand out in a field dominated by men, she must first learn to stand up for herself.

 

Wishbone

by Anna Garcia Schaper

Piñata Books, an imprint of Arte Público Press, 2020. 317 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Told in alternating timelines, fifteen-year-old overweight Pilar ignores her persistent bullies and pursues her dream of acting in the school production of "Our Town," while in 1976 her grandmother finally finds the strength to leave her abusive husband.

 Now, stick with me on this one. It is worth it. 

Eat Your Heart Out

by Kelly DeVos

Razorbill, 2021. 348 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Six disgruntled teens are forced to spend their winter break at fat camp during Flagstaff, Arizona's worst blizzard in a century, only to find that Camp Featherlite is even worse than expected because it is crawling with genetically-modified monsters.

AGP

Kiki Strike : inside the shadow city

Kiki Strike : Inside the Shadow City (Kiki Strike Series #1) 
By Kirsten Miller 
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006. 387 pages. YA Fiction. 

Ananka Fishbein was just like most other twelve-year-old girls in New York City, that is, until a giant sinkhole leading to a secret underground metropolis opens up in the park next to her apartment. After Ananka discovers the secret world below her feet she becomes swept up in a world of exploration, espionage, and eccentricities. Under the guidance her mysterious new friend, Kiki Strike, and with the help of her trusty all-girl posse, the Irregulars, Ananka is in for the adventure of a lifetime. 

If you've ever sat around and thought, "I wonder what would happen if girl scouts inexplicably had military grade training in combat and reconnaissance, and little to no parent supervision" then, boy, do I have a book for you. The first book in the Kiki Strike series delivers a fast-paced, high stakes adventure featuring strong female characters and a spellbinding subterranean world. I had a blast reading this plot driven story, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who is interested in secret societies, notices things other people fail to see, is an adept people-watcher, enjoys stories about strong female characters, has a no-harm-no-foul concept of crime, scoffs at romance novels, uses their adept makeup and costuming skills to become other people, has toyed with the idea of becoming an art thief, or would relish the opportunity to explore a long-forgotten land. 

If you like Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City, you might also like: 

The Ever After (May Bird Trilogy #1)

By Jodi Lynn Anderson
Aladdin, 2005. 343 pages. YA Fantasy. 

Lonely and shy, ten-year-old May Ellen Bird has no idea what awaits her when she falls into the lake and enters a world few people have ever seen, the Ever After, home of ghosts and the Bogeyman.

Ruby Redfort: Look Into My Eyes (Ruby Redfort Series #1)
By Lauren Child 
Candlewick Press, 2012. 383 pages. YA Mystery. 

Thirteen-year-old Ruby, a genius code-cracker and daring detective, gets an anonymous call setting a challenge that leads her to the headquarters of Spectrum, a highly secret anti-crime agency that needs her help to crack a code, but soon Ruby uncovers dastardly plans of the Fool's Gold Gang.

            

MES

Starfish

Starfish 
By Lisa Fipps
Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021. 244 pages. Young Adult Fiction 

Bullied and shamed her whole life for being fat, Ellie finally gains the confidence to stand up for herself, with the help of some wonderful new allies. 

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. Ellie’s friends are supportive and fantastic, and see her for who she is. Her therapist helps her realize that, no matter the number on the scale, she has value and is worthy of love. That strong support system is essential for Ellie when her own family members make her feel like an outcast because of her weight. In conversations with her mother especially, my heart breaks for Ellie. This is a great story about learning to accept and love yourself, especially at one of the most vulnerable and self-conscious stages of our lives. 

If you liked Starfish, you might also like: 

I’ll Be the One 
By Lyla Lee
Katherine Tegen Books, 2020. 323 pages. Young Adult Fiction 

A nuanced celebration of body positivity that follows the experiences of a plus-sized teen girl who shatters expectations on a televised competition to become the next big K-pop star. 

Dumplin’ 
By Julie Murphy
Balzer + Bray, 2015. 375 pages. Young Adult Fiction 

Sixteen-year-old Willowdean wants to prove to everyone in her small Texas town that she is more than just a fat girl, so, while grappling with her feelings for a co-worker who is clearly attracted to her, Will and some other misfits prepare to compete in the beauty pageant her mother runs. 

ACS

Dark One, Volume 1

Dark One, Volume 1 

by Jackson Lanzing

Vault, 2021. 224 pages. 

Young Adult Graphic Novel 

Some worlds are made to be broken. Paul Tanasin is a young man haunted by visions of a dark and fantastic world--visions he initially believes are hallucinations. But when he discovers they are prophecies from Mirandus, a world in which he's destined to become a fearsome destroyer, he'll have to embrace the fear, rise up as the Dark One, and shatter everything. Dark One examines the dual roles we often take on in life--the ability to be a savior as well as a destroyer. 

If you like Dark One, you may also like: 

Infernal 

by Mark De Jager

Solaris, 2020. 453 pages 

Science Fiction

Stratus wakes alone, with no memory of his past. All he knows is his name and that he is not human. Possessing immense strength, powerful sorcery and an insatiable hunger, he sets out across a landscape torn apart by a war, as a dark magic drives the world to the brink of destruction. Disoriented and pursued relentlessly by enemies, he will have to learn what he truly is, or risk bringing the world into ruin. 

White Sand, Volume 1 

by Rik Hoskin

Dynamite Entertainment, 2016. 160 pages.

Young Adult Graphic Novel

On the planet of Taldain, the legendary Sand Masters harness arcane powers to manipulate sand in spectacular ways. But when they are slaughtered in a sinister conspiracy, the weakest of their number, Kenton, believes himself to be the only survivor. With enemies closing in on all sides, Kenton forges an unlikely partnership with Khriss--a mysterious Darksider who hides secrets of her own.

ALL

Skyward

Skyward

By Brandon Sanderson 

Delacorte Press, 2018. 513 pgs. Young Adult

When a long-term attack against her world by the alien Krell escalates, Spensa's dream of becoming a pilot may come true, despite her deceased father being labeled a deserter.

 

I know Brandon Sanderson mostly for his adult fantasy novels but I really enjoyed this young adult science fiction book.  Instead of magical powers, this book has aliens and a talking space ship. Spensa is a strong female character, who has every reason to give up, but doesn't. 

If you like Skyward, you might also like: 

 

Aurora Rising

By Arnie Kaufman

Alfred A. Knopf, 2019. 470 pgs. Young Adult

Relegated by a misguided act of heroism to a squad comprised of his school's hopeless misfits, a graduating cadet in a 24th-century space academy rescues a centuries-hibernating girl from interdimensional space only to be swept up in an interstellar war millions of years in the making.

 

 

 

Renegade Flight

By Andrea Tang

Razorbill, and imprint of Penguin Random House, 2021. 303 pgs. Young Adult

Denied entrance into an elite pilot school in the aftermath of a bad judgment call, a talented young flyer is unexpectedly granted acceptance on probation when the school|s student pilots begin mysteriously disappearing, in a tale set 15 years after the events of Rebelwing.

 

 

 

Victories Greater than Death

By Charlie Jane Anders

Tor Teen, 2021. 288 pgs. Young Adult

Tired of hiding in obscurity on Earth, Tina, the human clone of a brilliant alien tactician, pursues her destiny in space, but success is elusive until Tina and her best friend Rachel assemble a ragtag crew of humans and set out to save all the worlds.

 

AL 

The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club

by Richard Osman

Pamela Dorman Books, 2020. 355 pages. Mystery

In a peaceful retirement village in England, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves The Thursday Murder Club. When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it's too late?

The Thursday Murder Club is a great book for those who like clean/cozy mysteries that have a sense of humor, but they’re not so overly silly that you’re rolling your eyes the entire time. Told from multiple perspectives, readers will love each character, even the murder suspects.

Osman does a great job with the plot of the murder, which kept me truly guessing. He plants subtle clues and plotlines throughout the book in such a way that you forget about some of them, or write others off, then in the end everything is wrapped up in a satisfying bow. The result is that even while you’re having a great time reading about life in an energetic retirement community, you’re also reading a very satisfying mystery novel. I can’t wait to read Osman’s next book in the series.

If you like The Thursday Murder Club you might also like:

The Postscript Murders

by Ellie Griffiths

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020, 315 pages. Mystery

The death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should not be suspicious. Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur certainly sees nothing out of the ordinary when Peggy's caretaker, Natalka, begins to recount Peggy Smith's passing. But Natalka had a reason to be at the police station: while clearing out Peggy's flat, she noticed an unusual number of crime novels, all dedicated to Peggy. And each psychological thriller included a mysterious postscript: PS: for PS. When a gunman breaks into the flat to steal a book and its author is found dead shortly thereafter, Detective Kaur begins to think that perhaps there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all.

Full Dark House

by Christopher Fowler

Bantam Books, 2004, 356 pages. Mystery

Edgy, suspenseful, and darkly comic, Full Dark House stars two cranky but brilliant old detectives whose lifelong friendship was forged solving crimes for the London Police Department's Peculiar Crimes Unit. In Full Dark House, Christopher Fowler tells the story of both their first and last case--and how along the way the unlikely pair of crime fighters changed the face of detection.

A Shot in the Dark

by Lynne Truss

Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018, 290 pages. Mystery

Dubbed “the funniest crime novel of 2018,” It’s 1957 in the sleepy British seaside town of Brighton. But Constable Twitten, a new, eager young constable, is certain that the patterns he’s seeing in the small burglaries he’s assigned to investigate suggests that not all is well. When renowned theater critic A.S. Crystal arrives in Brighton and is shot dead while watching a new play, Constable Twitten finds connections to a decade-old mystery that has yet to be solved.

MB

Come Fly the World

Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am
By Julia Cooke
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021.  266 pages.  Nonfiction

Required to have a college education, speak two languages, and possess the political savvy of a Foreign Service officer, a jet-age stewardess serving on Pan Am between 1966 and 1975 also had to be between 5'3" and 5'9", between 105 and 140 pounds, and under 26 years of age at the time of hire. Cooke weaves together the real-life stories of stewardesses as they embraced the liberation of their new jet-set life. She brings to light the story of Pan Am stewardesses' role in the Vietnam War, as the airline added runs from Saigon to Hong Kong for planeloads of weary young soldiers straight from the battlefields, as well as Operation Babylift, the dramatic evacuation of 2,000 children during the fall of Saigon.

This is a compelling examination of this time period through the eyes of Pan Am stewardesses.  They were definitely unique women in this time, prioritizing careers and professional accomplishment at a time when women were frequently discouraged from both.  But the changes in the workforce for women, the impacts of broader socio-cultural changes, and events occurring on the international stage are intertwined with the fates of the stewardesses, as they both reflected and impacted the world around them.

If you like Come Fly the World, you might also like: 

Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History
By Keith O'Brien
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018. 338 pages. Nonfiction

High adventure and high ideals merge when a corps of intrepid female aviators battle to take part in the hugely popular air shows of the 1920s and 1930s. Ultimately, one of our heroines would win a race that earned her the right to be called America's best pilot.

Fighting for Space: Two Pilots and their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight
By Amy Shira Teitel
Grand Central Publishing, 2020. 436 pages. Nonfiction

The mostly-unknown tale of Jackie Cochran and Jerrie Cobb--two accomplished aviatrixes, one generation apart, who each dreamed of being the first woman in space, but along the way battled their egos, their expectations, and ultimately the patriarchal society that stood between them and the stars.

BHG

Conventionally Yours

Conventionally Yours

By Annabeth Albert

Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2020. 389 pages. Fiction

Conrad Stewart and Alden Parks are enemies, and that's the way it's always been. But when they're stuck together on a cross-country road trip to the biggest gaming convention of their lives, the competition takes a backseat as unexpected feelings blossom. Yet each boy has a reason why they have to win the upcoming con tournament, and neither is willing to let emotion get in the way--even if it means giving up their one chance at something truly magical. 

I can't tell you how many times I squealed at the adorableness of this book! I loved watching the slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance play out because it was really sweet and revealed deeper aspects to the characters. This nerdy romance is a great addition to the 'new adult' genre.  

If you like Conventionally Yours you might also like: 

Autoboyography

By Christina Lauren

Simon & Schuster, 2017. 407 pages. YA Fiction

High school senior Tanner Scott has hidden his bisexuality ever since his family moved to Utah, but he falls hard for Sebastian, the Mormon mentor in Tanner's writing class. 

Red White and Royal Blue

By Casey McQuiston

St. Martin's Griffin, 2019. 421 pages. Romance

The First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends.

Verona Comics

By Jennifer Dugan

Putnam's Sons, 2020. 327 pages. YA Fiction

Told in two voices, cellist Jubilee and anxiety-ridden Ridley meet at a comic con where both of their families have booths, and begin a relationship they must hide from their parents.

sr

The Kitchen Without Borders

The Kitchen Without Borders: Recipes and Stories from Refugee and Immigrant Chefs
by Eat Offbeat
Workman Publishing, 2021. 212 pages. Nonfiction

The Kitchen without Borders brings the culinary traditions of fourteen chefs from around the world including Syria, Iran, Eritrea, and Venezuela, right to our tables. Discover delicious, unexpected flavor combinations, and ingredients--like sumac, pomegranate molasses, tahini--that will enhance the repertoire of any home cook or adventurous eater.

If you're interested in learning more about international fare without any sort of fusion getting in the way, then I definitely recommend this cookbook. Not only does it do a fantastic job of outlining the culture surrounding a particular dish, it weaves the stories of the chefs into each recipe, highlighting that the best food is the dish that feels like home, no matter where you are.

If you liked The Kitchen Without Borders, then you may also like:

The Art of Escapism Cooking: A Survival Story, with Insanely Good Flavors

by Mandy Lee
William Morrow, 2019. 391 pages. Nonfiction

For Mandy Lee, moving from New York to Beijing for her husband's work wasn't an exotic adventure--it was an ordeal. Mandy cooked because it channeled her focus, helping her cope with the difficult circumstances of her new life. She filled her kitchen with warming spices and sticky sauces while she shared recipes and observations about life, food, and cooking in her blog posts. Born in Taiwan and raised in Vancouver, she came of age food-wise in New York City and now lives in Hong Kong; her food reflects the many places she's lived. This entertaining and unusual cookbook is the story of how 'escapism cooking'--using the kitchen as a refuge and ultimately creating delicious and satisfying meals--helped her crawl out of her expat limbo.

The Bread and Salt Between Us: Recipes and Stories from a Syrian Refugee's Kitchen

by Mayada Anjari

Lake Isle Press, 2018. 176 pages. Nonfiction

The Bread and Salt Between Us offers over forty recipes that recall the flavor and comforts of Mayada's home in Syria. From the fresh tabbouleh she learned to prepare alongside her mother and sisters to the rice pudding that won over her future husband, these easy-to-approach dishes tell the story of a family whose culinary traditions have sustained them as they build a new life in the United States. The story of Mayada's journey is beautifully chronicled in this personal recipe collection.

AS

Field Notes on Love

Field Notes on Love 

by Jennifer E. Smith

Delacorte Press 2019: 274 pages. Fiction. 

Two teens, Hugo and Mae, are strangers until they share a cross-country train trip that teaches them about love, each other, and the futures they can build for themselves.

I love this book. It moves at a moderate to fast pace and the story isn't too long or too short. Hugo and Mae and other characters in the book are well-thought-out. This love story is sweet, unpredictable, and unique. I'd recommend this book to teens and adults.

If you like Field Notes on Love you might also like...

Tweet Cute 

by Emma Lord

Wednesday Books: 2020. 361 pages. Fiction

Meet Pepper, swim team captain and chronic overachiever. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming - mainly thanks to Pepper, who is secretly running Big League Burger's massive Twitter account. Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper's side. When he isn't trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin's shadow, he's busy working in his family's deli. He might not like the business that holds his future, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma's iconic grilled cheese recipe, he'll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time. All's fair in love and cheese - that is, until Pepper and Jack's spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they're publicly duking it, they're also falling for each other in real life - on an anonymous chat app Jack built. As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate, even these two rivals can't ignore they were destined for the most unexpected and awkward romance that neither of them expected

Alex Approximately 

by Jenn Bennett

Simon Pulse: 2017. 390 pages. Fiction

 

Seventeen-year-old Bailey moves to California to live with her father and, perhaps, finally meet an online friend and fellow film buff, but soon finds herself attracted to an annoying co-worker.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Simon & Schuster. 2012. 359 pages. Fiction

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship -- the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

NS

Lakeshire Park

Lakeshire Park

by Megan Walker 

Shadow Mountain, 2020. 312 pages. Romance 

Amelia Moore needs to secure her sister's engagement to Sir Ronald or else the two sisters will be left destitute. The only problem is that Peter Wood has the same goal for his own sister. Amelia and Peter begin a rivalry--one that Amelia has no choice but to win--but competing against Peter makes Amelia vulnerable to losing the only thing she has left to claim--her heart. 

One aspect that I loved about this book is that even though the two main characters, Amelia and Peter, are rivals they don’t always act like rivals and instead have witty conversations between each other and have some amusing adventures together as they both try to help their sisters. The story moves at moderate pace with very few slow moments. All in all, I devoured the book in a couple of days. 

 If you like Lakeshire Park, you might also like: 

Married to the Marquess (Arrangement #2) 

by Rebecca Connolly 

Phase Publishing, 2015. 267 pages. Romance 

To hate and to scold...Derek Chambers, Marquess of Whitlock, has a problem: his wife. She is the single most horrifying aspect of his life, and the only thing he has ever enjoyed about her are their truly spectacular fights. As such, he prefers having as little to do with her as possible. So, when she unexpectedly summons him to London, he surprises himself by going, and finds his life turned upside down in ways he never thought possible. 

To loathe and to perish...Katherine despises her worthless and irritating husband, and nothing bothers her more than the fact that he actually came to London when she sent for him. Worst of all, now that he has come, she needs him to stay. With her. And with his every smile making her heart race, she begins to wonder if there could be more to him than meets the eye. 

Edenbrooke 

by Julianne Donaldson 

Shadow Mountain, 2012. 264 pages. Romance 

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So, when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she'll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry. From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke. 

 ME